Vocational Education and Training (VET) School Autonomy and Accountability: An analytical framework to contribute on moving forward VET policies and system in Ukraine 1

In the last years, the evolution of decentralization in education in Ukraine, whether in the field of general education or vocational education and training (VET), has created effective political will and good synergies to address systemic reforms. However, the steadily decreasing number of VET institutions, students -and teachers- testify to the need to further reform the VET system. In the context of its effort to make the VET system both more attractive for students and the labour market through decentralization, Ukraine is facing the challenge of advancing VET school autonomy and accountability regarding managerial, financial and pedagogical functions. Increasing vocational school autonomy has been considered a key policy driver for decentralization process. School autonomy (managerial, financial, and pedagogical autonomy) might enable schools to support on such ambitious goal. The European Training Foundation (ETF) 3 working very closely with Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (2019-2020) explored-in pilot basis-how to make possible moving towards VET school autonomy and accountability in Ukraine, from a governance perspective of the VET system. The analytical framework is a result of desk research, focus groups in three Ukrainian regions (Poltava, Kharkov and Odessa). Further, it helped to implement national survey-online- in 24 Ukrainian regions Key outcome is an Analytical Framework for VET School Autonomy and Accountability 4 . The purpose of such tool has been to provide a clear description of the suggested distribution of tasks among stakeholders at the different levels of the education system (practitioners and policy makers). This might support the decision-making authorities, i. e. first and foremost the Ministry of Education and Science) in their efforts to advance VET school autonomy and accountability in Ukraine to advance in policy agendas and continue improving effectiveness -and efficiency of VET system.

1 To cite this paper in APA style: Arribas, J.M.G. (2022). Vocational Education and Training (VET) School Autonomy and Accountability: An analytical framework to contribute on moving forward VET policies and system in Ukraine. HAPSc Policy Briefs Series, 3(1), 49-61. https://doi.org/10.12681/hapscpbs.30989 2 ETF Senior Expert in Human Capital Development (HCD)-Team Leader Vocational Excellence. 3 The ETF is an EU agency that helps transition and developing countries to harness the potential of their human capital through the reform of education, training and labour market systems in the context of the EU's external relations policy. It is based in Turin, Italy, and has been operational since 1994. 4 The author acknowledges and thanks ETF team for implementing this work: Inna Dergunova-ETF, Hans Schustereder-International Expert, Rodion Kolyshko-National Expert and ETF colleagues: Stylianos Karagiannis, Eva Jansova and Mirella Gavoci (questionnaire survey and statistical support). The author wants to deeply thank from heart all beautiful and brave Ukrainian people who is currently suffering an unjustifiable, -brutal aggression and invasion of their lands and lives-by Russian Federation Government. They are all our heroes. Ukraine and the whole world wish to live in peace. The paper also pays tribute to professional performance on Vocational Education and Training (VET) -which is still a work in progress-to those practitioners, experts and policy stakeholders in the country who are committed and working, hard from years ago, to support Ukraine becoming a reference in Vocational Education-and Training-skills systems-. They are smoothly working in partnerships with European Union and international community in successful way for doing so. Overall, this paper goes to the memory of Ukrainian citizens-included lot of children'skilled by Russian military forces, as a consequence of such unacceptable war which is violating international law.

Introduction
Ukrainian government (June 2019) adopted a concept in order to address Modern Vocational Education and Training (VET) (2020 up to 2027), to support the implementation of necessary reforms 5 . The concept identifies the following three priority tasks: ▪ Further decentralisation of VET by increasing school autonomy, optimising VET provider networks and ensuring the acquisition of vocational qualifications in a lifelong learning (LLL) context; ▪ Aligning VET provision with regional labour market needs; ▪ Improving the quality of VET, through competence-based and flexible provision; by improving the status of VET teachers and trainers and attracting professionals from industry to teach in VET institutions; and developing cooperation and different forms of interaction and partnerships with employers and the private sector to increase the relevance of VET.
A new draft Law on VET has been prepared. This is still an on-going task (ETF 2020a). All these key policy aspects steered a cooperation among European Training Foundation (ETF) with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (Directorate of Vocational Education and Training) to explore -in pilot basis-how to move towards VET school autonomy and accountability in Ukraine by looking at the distribution of tasks and responsibilities at the different levels of the VET system (2019-2020).
In this policy context, the issue of VET School Autonomy is playing a prominent role in the sphere of Ukrainian policy dialogue/making for two key facts:

Conceptual framework and methodology
There are several definitions of school autonomy 6 but generally it means granting schools certain rights, primarily the right to make decisions. Those rights regard different areas, such as staffing, teaching contents, finances, pedagogical practices, staff assessment. School autonomy is exercised within the policies set at the central level. School autonomy results in a shift of rights and responsibilities of bodies associated with the school, such as the School Council. School autonomy exists to different degrees and schools may be autonomous to varying degrees with regard to different aspects. School autonomy does not preclude approval of certain decisions from higher authorities.
The participatory working methodology to pilot an analytical framework on VET School Autonomy and Accountability-in pilot basisis summarized below:   The background issues translated into policy research domains-and questions-worked by informants are: ▪ Roles, functions and composition of VET schools councils or boards 8 .
▪ Powers of school directors, teachers and other staff policies.
▪ Regional component role on the issue of having more autonomous VET school networks.
▪ Methods and ways of coordinating mobilization and allocation of funding for boosting VET quality programs (e.g. academic wages, formula funding, multi-channel sources of funding, and for fund-raising to support VET schools operations (e.g. income generation).
▪ Role of VET schools in cooperation with other stakeholders shaping curricula as well as on facilitating and implementing student assessments of learning process and outcomes. This takes into account the role of Centers of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) ▪ Tasks of VET schools in planning and coordination with other layers (national and regional) for implementation of VET quality assurance.
▪ VET school capacities for networking with private sector and social partners to address, for instance, development of work-based learning approaches (WBL).
vol. 3 | no. 1 | June 2022 ▪ Teachers and trainers -expanded roles on learning and curricula design processes, as well as on their professional development within the context of increased school self-governance.

Analytical framework on VET School Autonomy and Accountability in Ukraine
All these steps, based on country intelligence, primary information -and international practicesanalysis -, allowed to approach an analytical framework for addressing how to implement VET School Autonomy and Accountability policies in Ukraine. VET School Autonomy on this Analysis is clustered on managerial, financial, and pedagogical autonomy, whilst focussing on selection of different types of VET stakeholders and VET providers).
In the framework the key policy layers and main stakeholders are: ▪ National (Ministry-MoES).

▪ VET Providers: VET School Directors/ Teachers /Workshop instructors/Masters).
This has been aligned to current VET system and policy context to guide Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (working with VET Community-fit for purpose).

Conclusions
Among many others take aways from this pilot action, key conclusions are: • The paper does not discuss pross and cons of policy decision on VET School Autonomy and Accountability. Overall, the objective of this work has been to propose a working framework for testing such policy option in Ukraine.
• The analytical framework -pilot-presented in this paperis linked to a governance perspective and is proven to be relevant and useful. Findings show that it works for further supporting policy -analysis, discussions, and learning-. This should be done by correlating vol. 3 | no. 1 | June 2022 both, distribution of responsibilities among policy layers and relevant VET staff/practitioners, to be engaged. Managerial, financial and pedagogical functions are those relevant ones to target VET School Autonomy and Accountability. This means, for example, to deliver a crossanalysis (matrix) based on these key three functions on VET School Autonomy-and Accountability, shorted by different stakeholders (National Regional, School board, Directors, teachers & workshop instructors) and spatial levels (National, Regional & VET schools).
• The analytical framework might further support other countries worldwide, which might further work on such a strategic issue (policy makers, practitioners as well as research/experts community).
• Overall, these findings inform on the need to deliver a differentiated analysis on Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) role. This issue might support on streamlining policy discussions, to address high quality VET network optimization-and provision-reform in the country.
• Other key actions might be needed to reform network in the country (e.g. conducting evaluation-and audit-of VET sector; facilitating guidelines for restructuring VET school networks; issuing methodology for assessing performance, effectiveness and quality of VET network; strategic communication plan to motivate -and build trust on-VET Community etc.).